From Harvest Dances to Haunted Halls: Music for the Autumn Season
Autumn Notes: Haunting Tunes and Harvest Melodies
There’s something about this time of year that changes the way an instrument sounds. As the air cools and the evenings draw in, the resonance of a violin, viola, or cello seems to deepen, as though the wood itself knows that autumn has arrived. The brightness of summer gives way to something warmer, more introspective. It’s the season for slower tempos, minor keys, and music that lingers like mist over the fields.
For me, autumn has always been the most musical of the seasons. The natural rhythm of it, the hush of shorter days, the rhythm of rain on the workshop roof, encourages a different kind of listening. When I’m setting up an instrument in October, I often find myself playing longer than I mean to (when testing out the instrument before she going back to the client). There’s a comfort in those rich, mellow tones that seems to match the season perfectly.
Music that Sounds Like Autumn
Certain pieces feel almost made for this time of year. Vivaldi’s Autumn from The Four Seasons is an obvious choice, and it’s one I never tire of, full of rustic energy and the bustle of harvest, hunting, brewing beer and feasting. Then there’s Elgar’s Serenade for Strings, which I often put on while I’m carving a bridge or fitting a soundpost. It has a wistfulness to it, a kind of quiet nostalgic romance that feels unmistakably English (seeing as he wrote it for his wife long after they were married, he obviously loved her beyond anything else).
Another favourite is Dvořák’s Silent Woods. The way the cello line rises and falls feels like a slow walk through damp leaves, and the harmonies have that late-afternoon glow you only get in autumn. Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending also takes on a different character at this time of year; instead of soaring, it seems to hover, still beautiful, but a touch more fragile, as though aware that winter is near.
And when I want something darker, I turn to Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King. It’s wonderfully mischievous and a reminder that autumn also carries a sense of playfulness and mystery.
Halloween Favourites for String Players
October always invites a bit of the supernatural, and the violin has long had a place in those ghostly tales. Paganini’s fiery showpieces gave rise to stories of diabolical skill, and Saint-Saëns captured that same spirit perfectly in Danse Macabre. I’ve played it many times and still enjoy the way it seems to rattle and grin its way through the room.
If you’re looking for something to play as the nights draw in, you might enjoy:
Saint-Saëns – Danse Macabre: The quintessential Halloween piece, full of charm and mischief.
Mussorgsky – Night on Bald Mountain: A dramatic showpiece that captures the thrill of the eerie.
Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King: Play it slowly at first and let it build. It’s a brilliant exercise in dynamic control.
Bazzini - his Dance of the Goblins (La ronde des Lutins) has a similar theme, less static and regal, more playful and miscievous. Perfect for a Lincolnshire based workshop where we celebrate our imps and pixies!
Vaughan Williams – Phantasy Quintet: More haunting than spooky, but beautifully atmospheric. And his Variations on a theme by Thomas Tallis will have you thinking of long autumn walks in misty fields and woods, filled with scents of forests preparing for winter.
Even a simple folk tune can be transformed for the season. Shift it into a minor key, slow it down, and you’ll find it takes on a whole new life. Students especially enjoy discovering how small changes can create such different moods.
Sound and Setting
Autumn rewards players who take their time. Try experimenting with tone, draw the bow a little closer to the fingerboard (sul tasto) for a whispering sound, or play near the bridge (sul ponticello) for a chillier, more spectral effect. The change in humidity also affects how the instrument speaks, so it’s worth taking a few minutes to check tuning stability and adjust your soundpost or bridge position if something feels off.
When I’m testing an instrument in the workshop at this time of year, I often let the light fade rather than turning it on straight away. There’s a moment when the room fills with that soft half-light and the instrument seems to bloom. The sound feels rounder and somehow more alive.
A Season to Slow Down
After the busy-ness of summer repairs and performances al fresco, autumn invites a slower pace: haunting airs and ballads by the fireplace. It’s the time to revisit old repertoire, to play for the sake of sound itself rather than for an audience. Whether you’re practising scales or rediscovering a favourite sonata, it’s worth remembering that music is as much about atmosphere as precision.
So as the leaves turn and the nights lengthen, take a little time to play something that suits the season: something that resonates. The best autumn music isn’t necessarily loud or complicated; it’s the kind that seems to echo softly long after the final note has faded.
— Laurentius